Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in February 2012 and June 2014. The E-M5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the FZ1000 is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on a Four Thirds (E-M5) and an one-inch (FZ1000) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 20 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors,
their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M5 and the Panasonic FZ1000. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-M5 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the FZ1000 is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Panasonic FZ1000 is notably larger (25 percent) than the Olympus E-M5. It is worth mentioning in this context that the E-M5 is splash and dust resistant,
while the FZ1000 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the FZ1000 has a lens built in,
whereas the E-M5 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the E-M5 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The FZ1000 was launched at a lower price than the E-M5, despite having a lens built in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus E-M5 features a Four Thirds sensor and the Panasonic FZ1000
an one-inch sensor. The sensor area in the FZ1000 is 48 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 2.7. The sensor in the E-M5 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the FZ1000 offers a 3:2 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the FZ1000 offers a higher
resolution of 20 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the E-M5.
This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 2.41μm versus 3.76μm for the E-M5). However, it should be noted that the FZ1000 is much more recent (by 2 years and 4 months) than the E-M5, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 are ISO 125 to ISO 12800, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-25600.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). Of the two cameras under review, the E-M5 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the FZ1000 (overall score 7 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.7 bits higher color depth, 0.6 EV in additional dynamic range, and 0.7 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Olympus E-M5»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60i

22.8

12.3

826

71

Olympus E-M5

Panasonic FZ1000«

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.1

11.7

517

64

Panasonic FZ1000

Canon G3 X«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

21.4

12.3

521

63

Canon G3 X

Olympus PEN-F«»

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

1080/60p

23.1

12.4

894

74

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M5 II«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60p

23.0

12.5

842

73

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-PL7«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.7

12.4

873

72

Olympus E-PL7

Olympus E-M1«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

23.0

12.7

757

73

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P5«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.8

12.4

895

72

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-PL5«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.8

12.3

889

72

Olympus E-PL5

Olympus E-PM2«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.7

12.2

932

72

Olympus E-PM2

Panasonic FZ1000 II«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

-

-

-

-

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Panasonic GX8«»

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

4K/30p

23.5

12.6

806

75

Panasonic GX8

Panasonic GX7«»

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

1080/60p

22.6

12.2

718

70

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic GH3«»

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60p

22.7

12.4

812

71

Panasonic GH3

Sony RX100 IV«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.6

591

70

Sony RX100 IV

Sony RX100 III«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.4

12.3

495

67

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.5

12.4

483

67

Sony RX100 II

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the FZ1000 provides a better video resolution than the E-M5. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Olympus is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder.
However, the one in the FZ1000 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the E-M5 (2359k vs 1440k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-M5, the Panasonic FZ1000, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Olympus E-M5»

1440

n

3.0

610

tilting

Y

1/4000s

9.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M5

Panasonic FZ1000«

2359

n

3.0

921

swivel

n

1/4000s

12.0

Y

Y

Panasonic FZ1000

Canon G3 X«»

-

n

3.2

1620

tilting

Y

1/2000s

5.9

Y

Y

Canon G3 X

Olympus PEN-F«»

2360

n

3.0

1037

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M5 II«»

2360

n

3.0

1037

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-PL7«»

-

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/4000s

8.0

n

Y

Olympus E-PL7

Olympus E-M1«»

2360

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P5«»

-

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/8000s

9.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-PL5«»

-

n

3.0

460

tilting

Y

1/4000s

8.0

n

Y

Olympus E-PL5

Olympus E-PM2«»

-

n

3.0

460

fixed

Y

1/4000s

8.0

n

Y

Olympus E-PM2

Panasonic FZ1000 II«»

2360

n

3.0

1240

swivel

Y

1/4000s

12.0

Y

Y

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Panasonic GX8«»

2360

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Panasonic GX8

Panasonic GX7«»

2760

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic GH3«»

1746

n

3.0

614

swivel

Y

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Panasonic GH3

Sony RX100 IV«»

2359

n

3.0

1228

tilting

n

1/2000s

16.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 IV

Sony RX100 III«»

1440

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

1/2000s

10.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

-

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

1/2000s

10.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 II

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The E-M5
has a touchscreen, while the FZ1000 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example,
for setting the focus point.

The FZ1000 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-M5 does not have a selfie-screen.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while
others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the FZ1000 is one of those camera that have an additional
electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Panasonic FZ1000 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-M5 and the FZ1000 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Olympus E-M5»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-M5

Panasonic FZ1000«

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic FZ1000

Canon G3 X«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon G3 X

Olympus PEN-F«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M5 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M5 II

Olympus E-PL7«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-PL7

Olympus E-M1«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P5«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-PL5«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-PL5

Olympus E-PM2«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-PM2

Panasonic FZ1000 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

Y

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Panasonic GX8«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GX8

Panasonic GX7«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic GH3«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Panasonic GH3

Sony RX100 IV«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 IV

Sony RX100 III«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 II

It is notable that the FZ1000 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data
to an off-camera location. In contrast, the E-M5 does not offer wifi capability.

Both the E-M5 and the FZ1000 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The E-M5 was replaced by the Olympus E-M5 II, while the FZ1000 was followed by the Panasonic FZ2500. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official
Olympus and Panasonic websites.

Review summary: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-M5 or the Panasonic FZ1000 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.

More modern: Reflects 2 years and 4 months of technical progress since the E-M5 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the FZ1000 is the clear winner of the contest (17 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-M5 or the FZ1000 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews: Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.